Thursday, August 15 2024 15:12

ArmInfo. The Museum of Folk  Arts named after Hovhannes Sharambeyan, with the support of RA  Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports will host the  "3rd International Crafts Festival" on September 14-15 in the Areni  community of Vayots Dzor region, titled "Wine and Crafts" region. 

The festival will bring together about 40 craftsmen from Armenia and  10 countries within the organization of the Black Sea Economic  Cooperation (Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania,  Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and North Macedonia).

It is also noted that the "III International Crafts Festival" is  special as it unites a number of international cultural programs,  developing new opportunities for cooperation within the framework of  international organizations, in particular, combining the cultural  potential of the Black Sea region countries with "Cultural Paths" and  promoting the formation and development of new platforms for  intercultural dialogue.

The festival will mark the beginning of one of the largest and most  popular events in Europe - "European Heritage Days", which this year  will be held under the motto "Roads, Networks, Connections". The  festival will summarize the results of the international training  course "Intangible Cultural Heritage and Museums", held in Armenia  jointly with The Regional Research Center for Safeguarding Intangible  Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia, operating under the  auspices of UNESCO. During the festival, the national crafts of  Armenians and other nations will be presented in the Areni community:  carpet weaving, embroidery, lace making, doll making, wood  processing, pottery, blacksmithing, jewelry making, straw weaving,  etc.  Various cultural events will be held over the two days:  national songs and dances, string dances, tasting of various dishes  of traditional cuisine, master classes and a special program for  children.

It is emphasized that the festival is an important initiative aimed  at preserving and valuing the intangible cultural heritage within RA  communities. Held each year in different regions of Armenia, it  contributes to community involvement, fosters collaboration   between  individual craftsmen and organizations, and promotes the development  of cultural tourism.  The first international crafts festival was  held in 2022 in Gyumri, known as the city of craftsmen. The second  festival took place in 2024 in Dilijan.